Software Release Manager at QuidelOrtho in San Diego, CA

Job description

The Opportunity QuidelOrtho unites the strengths of Quidel Corporation and Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, creating a world-leading in vitro diagnostics company with award-winning expertise in immunoassay and molecular testing, clinical chemistry and transfusion medicine. We are more than 6,000 strong and do business in over 130 countries, providing answers with fast, accurate and consistent testing where and when they are needed most – home to hospital, lab to clinic. Our culture puts our team members first and prioritizes actions that support happiness, inspiration and engagement. We strive to build meaningful connections with each other as we believe that employee happiness and business success are linked. Join us in our mission to transform the power of diagnostics into a healthier future for all. The Role At QuidelOrtho , we’re advancing the power of diagnostics for a healthier future for all . Join our mission as our next Software Release Manager to join our R&D Instrument Platforms organization. This role combines scrum leadership with software release management accountability, focusing on the end-to-end planning, coordination, and execution of software releases for regulated medical device systems. The Software Release Manager is embedded within Agile development teams while also maintaining a system-level view of SDLC, integration, and release readiness. This role ensures predictable, high-quality software releases by coordinating across multiple internal and external team members, managing dependencies, mitigating risk, and aligning execution with regulatory and business objectives. This position will be working hybrid 2 days onsite at our San Diego (Summers Ridge) location. The Responsibilities Release Planning and Ownership Own end-to-end software release from planning through deployment, ensuring on-time, on-scope, and high-quality outcomes. Develop and manage integrated release plans, including dependencies, milestones, and critical paths along with resource forecasts. Coordinate cross-team integration activities to ensure system-level readiness and stability. Drive release readiness processes per metrics of definition of done, entry/exit criteria, and go/no-go decision support. Track Agile metrics (velocity, burndown, predictability) and team performance through disciplined management in systems like ADO. Remove impediments and foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Plan, track and manage project costs within allocated budget. Technical & System Awareness Maintain working knowledge of system architecture, software components, and integration points sufficient to anticipate release risks. Understand the technical state of work items to accurately assess progress and risks. Risk, Quality, and Compliance Identify and proactively mitigate technical, schedule, quality, budget and integration risks. Ensure adherence to regulatory standards (FDA, ISO 13485, IEC 62304) and internal design controls. Ensure audit readiness by ensuring documentation completeness and traceability across releases. Support internal and external audits. Stakeholder & Vendor Management Serve as a primary Instrument Software interface at Project meetings. Coordinate across engineering, systems, quality, regulatory, and product stakeholders. Manage vendor relationships and external development partners, including statement of work, cost, milestones, performance, and change control. Provide clear, data-driven status reporting on release progress, risks, and mitigation plans. Communicate release scope, timelines, and readiness to leadership and cross-functional partners. Continuous Improvement & Process Excellence Champion best practices in Agile Framework, DevOps, and release management. Identify opportunities to improve release predictability, quality, and team effectiveness. Coach teams and stakeholders in Agile best practices within a hybrid Scrum environment. Perform other work-related duties as assigned. T